TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I have researched, written, and presented on certification for technical
writers in the past. Bottom line: any kind of generic "certified technical
writer" generated zero interest with hiring managers in my informal survey
conducted back in 1996. A "CTW" designation would not make any difference in
hiring or promotion. The respondents argued that a bachelor degree should be
sufficient and they expect TWs to already have the basics. But, what would
"influence" their decision to hire or promote would be specific
certification in a product (Adobe FrameMaker Expert as one example) or a
methodology (Information Mapping, ISO 9000, etc.).
Seems like the only people who think certification has merit are those who
are still looking to validate what it is they do. STC involvement? My
feeling is that the STC should stay out of the certification thing
altogether. But, if people really need to have another plaque hanging on
their cube wall to justify their existence, then a certification program
must provide for the short-term and long-term job prospects for those
holding the certification. It must be robust enough to differentiate the
skill levels from those who don't have certification. Overall, it must
benefit those who have paid for it (through training and exams) by providing
actual (versus perceived) value-add for career development.
Let's also not forget that certification represents a snapshot it time of
knowledge and skill level. Things have a habit of changing rapidly in this
environment, and a certification program (a viable one anyway) would have to
undergo continuous evolution to stay current.
Lurker_writer
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available 4/30/01 at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com
Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001 Conference East,
June 4-6, Baltimore, MD. Now covering Acrobat 5. Early registration deadline
April 27. http://www.pdfconference.com.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
